Coaster wagon



c. w. HAAGE N COASTER WAGON Filed Nov. 23, 1932 Ez/ g. 1,

Q2 LQ Aug. 8, 1933.

l N VEN 7 0 H C/varz/es WE aa qerz,

HTTO/T/VEY WITNESS Patented Aug. 8, 1933 A T s ll a. Elias.)

RINITED mesa Gharles W. Haagen, i hiladelph a. 3a., assignor S. L. Allen 6a., Ihiladelphia, lla a Corporation Fennsylr. l

Application November 23, 1932 Serial No. 84M905,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in coaster wagons designed for use by children for amusement and exercise and particularly to steering coaster wagons of a form generally corn- 5 parable to steering sleds, and thus capable of use by a person either when sitting upright or lying prone thereon.

More particularly, the invention is concerned with providing an improved steering mechanism and front end assembly for a coaster wagon of this character which is in some respects similar to the steering mechanism of certain types of steering sleds in its ultimate effect and mode of operation, the front wheels of the coaster being turned to right or left when steering by means of a transverse horizontally extending steering bar disposed adjacent the front end of the vehicle and adapted to be actuated either by the, hands or feet of the occupant.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a coaster wagon of this character embodying steering mechanism in which a pivotal connection between the front portion of the coaster and the front wheels enables the coaster to be steered with a minimum of effort while providing relatively great strength and durability to resist breakage from impact with obstructions and torsional stresses resulting from irregularities in the surfaces over which it may be required to pass.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coaster having a minimum of parts and capable of being marketed in a knocked down condition, thus permitting ease of shipment and handling prior to its assembly by the ultimate purchaser for actual use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a coaster front end assembly in which road shocks and'the like are absorbed by distri uted through the principal strength members of the coaster rather than transmitted to the body of the user whereby the riding qualities of the vehicle are improved and its probable life in actual use substantially increased.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coaster embodying a deck supporting frame rigidly connected with the rear axle and pivotally connected at a point adjacent the front end of the coaster with the front axle, nus providing in effect a three-point or tripod supperu for the 7 frame and deck, whereby undue torsional stresses therein as a result of irregularities in the road are prevented. v

A still further object is the provision of means in a coaster of this character whereby the center (Cl. EMF-87.5)

deck panel is relieved of and protected from road shocks which, in the absence of said means, would tend to crack the panel and/or loosen it from its fastenings. I

Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear or will be understood from the following description of a coaster wagon constructed in accor ance therewith during which reference will be had to the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of said coaster wagon, a portion of one of the side rails being broken away; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan View of the front part of the coaster shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similarly enlarged fragmentary front elevation thereof Fig. 4 is a fragmentary verticalsection on the line 44: in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a still further enlarged perspective view of certain of the parts utilized for making the steering connection between the steering bar and the front axle. In the several figures like characters are used to designate the same parts. p

- Referring now. more particularly to the drawing, as shown in Fig. l the coaster comprises generally a frame having side rails and cross mem bers carrying a top deck 1 supported from a rear axle having a pair of wheels 2 arranged for rota tion on anti-friction bearings and a front axle 3 having a pair of similar wheels 4 provided with anti-friction bearings, which is controlled from the steering bar 5 in a manner, now to be described. v

As most clearly shown in Fig. 3, the connection with the front aXle'3 comprises a yoke 6 desirably made of a single strip of relatively heavy metal such as steel or the like bent into the form shown and having holes adjacent its downwardly turned lower ends for passage of the axle 3, a brace 7 extending aboveand parallel to the axle being riveted or otherwise secured to the yoke to maintain its lower ends in spaced relation adjacent the wheels 4 into which the outer ends of the axle extend. Adjacent their front ends the side rails 3 of the frame are interconnected by a fiat metal spacer 9, the ends of which are preferably riveted to the side rails, and interposed between the central portion of the spacer and the yoke 6 is a chair 10 more particularly shown in detail in Fig. 5 having its divergent arms 11 riveted to the yoke 6 at spaced points while itsupwardly offset central portion 12 provides a bearing for the spacer 9 adjacent its center; a similar chair 10 is disposed in inverted position above the spacer 9 in substantial registry with the chair 10, the divergent arms 1.1

of this chair being riveted to the steering bar 5 at spaced points to thereby secure the latter to thechair, both chairs being perforated substantially centrally to provide holes 13, 13 which are thus in vertical alignment with each other when the parts are assembled. A metal tongue 20, secured to the central panel 21 of the coaster deck 1, extends forwardly therefrom into the space between the offset central portion 12 of the chair 10 and the steering bar 5.

The steering bar 5, tongue 20, spacer 9 and yoke 6, are also respectively provided with holes in alignment with those in the chairs and thus adapted for the passage of a king pin 22 which is preferably squared beneath its head for reception in the squared central hole of a washer 23 having downwardly projecting points 24 which may be driven into the wood of the steering bar 5, thus preventing the pin 22 from turning with respect thereto after assembly. A castellated nut 25 is threaded onto the lower end of the king pin which passes through the bar, tongue, spacer, chairs and yoke to secure the several parts in relatively loosely assembled relation, a cotter pin 26 preventing the nut from backing off.

As will be apparent from Fig. 5, the chairs 10, 10 are preferably sheet metal stampings and are substantially identical except that when assembled, they occupy reverse or inverted positions. Each of the chairs, moreover, has a rearwardly extending tongue 28 and a lug 29 projecting laterally outward therefrom provided with a hole 30 for a purpose which will hereafter appear. The tongue of the chair 10, however, is provided with a downwardly extending pin 32 preferably riveted or otherwise secured thereto and adapted for reception in a hole 33in the tongue of the chair 10 so that when assembled, as best shown in Figs.

.2 and 4, the pin 32 enters this hole and prevents relative rotation between the chairs about the king pin 22. Thus, the cross bar 5, secured to the upper chair 10, is interconnected with the axle 3- through the lower chair l0 and yoke 6, so that movement of the steering bar about the king pin 22 correspondingly moves the axle to steer the coaster. As the spacer 9 is loosely disposed between the chairs, it is capable of slight rocking movement on the lower chair 10, thus relieving excessive and torsional stress on the frame and associated parts.

A tension spring 35 is extended between the lug 29 of the chair l0 and the adjacent side rail 8 and a similar spring 35 between the lug 29' and adjacent side rail, each spring thus tending to urge the outwardly projecting tongues of the chairs toward the side rail to which it is secured. As the springs are preferably of substantially equal strength, when they are in equilibrium they yieldingly maintain the tongues centrally of the coaster and the front wheels in turn in parallelism with the rear wheels, while when the front wheels are turned either by pressure on the steering bar 5 sufficient to extend one or the other of the springs to steer the coaster to right or left or by one of the wheels encountering an obstruction, the springs return the front wheels to their former or straight line position immediately the pressure on the bar is released or the obstacle passed over.

In order to provide a strengthening support 'for the front end assembly and relieve undue stresses on the king pin 22, I provide an angular strut 40 extending rearwardly upwardly from the brace '7 parallel to the longitudinal center line of the coaster and pivotally secure it to the brace by a rivet 41 just above the mid-point of the front axle, a washer 4'2 being interposed between the strut and brace to minimize friction and permit free relative pivotal movement of the axle during the steering of the coaster. The rear end of the strut 40 is secured to the tongue 20 and to the center deck panel 21 through the medium of a bolt 43 and nut 44, thus firmly bracing the front axle assembly.

The tongue 20, bearing loosely on the chair 10 at its forward end and extending rearwardly beneath the center deck panel 21, is secured to the latter at spaced points by rivets 45, 46. This tongue is desirably made of relatively heavy strip steel and at its rear end is bent to form an ofZse-t downwardly and rearwardly projecting finger 47 which engages the lower surface of the forward wooden cross bench 48 of the coaster. As this cross bench is supported from the side rails 8 and provides a support for the coaster deck panels, the arrangement of the parts just described is such that a shock received by the front wheels upon encountering an obstruction is transmitted through the strut 40 to the tongue 20 which rises slightly at its forward end to bring it into engagementwith the steering bar 5; the rear end of the tongue is prevented from rising, however, throughthe engagement of the finger 47 with the cross bench and the tongue thus'acts in effect as a spring to absorb a large portion of the shock and to distribute the remainder to the steering bar 5 or to thecross bench and thence to the center panel 21 of the deck. The latter of course also absorbs a portion of the shock but not enough to split or otherwise injure it, while as it is prevented from relative movement with respect to the cross bench by the finger 47, the nails 49 or other fastenings which secure it thereto cannot become loosened or dislodged even when the coaster is subjected to severe usage.

Thus, by my invention, I provide an extrerne ly durable coaster wagon in which wear or brealo age and consequent necessity for repair or replacement of its parts are reduced to a minimum, those parts which are normally subjected to greatest direct strains being so arranged with respect to other parts serving as reinforcing members that the principal strains ordinarily imposed thereon are relieved and widely distributed through the other parts of the coaster, while the steering assembly is subjected to substantially no wear or strain of the character generally found in vehicles of the class to which my invention is directed, i. e., that resulting from a torsional stress imposed upon some part in order to turn the wheels in response to a movement of the steering bar or equivalent mechanisrn. The stress members of my improved steering mechanism are desirably made entirely of steel, and are thus capable of withstanding severe usage; as the provision of a wooden steering bar is desirable for attractiveness of appearance and other reasons, it is permitted by utilization of the metal chairs 10, 10', the upper one of which, secured to the steering bar at widely spaced points, maybe readily turned thereby to steer the coaster with a Moreover, the rearwardly extending tongues of the chairs, to which the springs 35 are secured, provide sufficient leverage for the latter to enable them to resist relatively strongly any deflection of the front wheels upon encountering an 0bstruction, and to return the wheels very quickly to their normal position immediately upon their minimum of effort.-

parall release, thus enhancing the safety and the pleasure afforded to the user.

Furthermore, since the tongue 29 is received between the upwardly offset arms 11' of the chair 10', it serves as a stop to limit the amount which the steering bar and front wheels can be turner in either direction from straight ah ad position; excessive stretching of the springs 35 is thus prevented, and danger to the occupant of the coaster through turning too sharp a corner is averted.

The safety of the occupant is additionally protected by the provision of a bum er or guard 59, which may comprise a single strip of steel bent to the form indicated in Fig. 2 and having its ends secured to the forward'ends of the side rails 8 in such manner that the bumper projects forwardly from the front of the coaster to encounter any obstacle which may be interposed in its path and transmit the shock of impact to the side rails.

As hitherto mentioned, the coaster wagon herein disclosed readily lends itself to shipment by the manufacturer in a knockdown condition. To this end the rear axle may be supported by a yoke 52 pivoted to the side rails and adapted to held in vertical position by struts 53, he forward ends of which are reniovably bolted to the center cross bench 5a, the rear wheels being designed for ready removal from or attachment to the axle; when the struts are taken off and the wheels removed, the axle and yoke can be folded up adjacent the under side of the deck. L kewise when the springs 35 are unhooked and the king pin 22 removed, the steering bar 5, chairs it), ill, yoke 6 and front axle can be detached from the e and deck after the strut .0 unbo-lted from latter so that when the fr n wheels are removed from the axle, these various parts can be folded up and packed flat with the deck and frame, thus permitting all of the parts of the coaster wagon to be enclosed in a flat package or carton of corn venient dimensions for handling and shipment. The method of assembling the parts into operative position by the dealer or ultimate purchaser will be readily apparent.

While I have herein described one embodiment of my invention with considerable particularity, it will be understood that I do not intend thereby to limit or confine myself thereto, as changes and modifications in the form and of the several parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be made if desired without departing her the spirit and scope of the irrtion as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described invention, I claim and desire to prot ct by Letters Patent or" the United States:

"i. steering coaster wagon comprising ls, a spacer extending transversely between and to their front ends, a pair of chairs revely disposed above below the spacer in cinity of its mid-point and having interconnormally extending substantially ll/S1- tongues l to the side rails, a axle, means i conne ting axle wi h one or the cha steering bar secured to ext-en D d 2. A steering coaster wa on 1 ra' s, a spacer extending tr nsve ly =etvreen and secured to their front ends, a pair of chairs respectively disposed above and below the spacer connected rearwardly extending tongues, a front axle, means int rconnecting the with the lower chair, a steeringbar secured to the upper chair, a spring extended between the rear ends of the tongues and each side rail, means pivotally 1 terconnecting the cha acer, a cock supported the side rails, a tor interposed between tie steering and '6 upper chair and secured to the deck, a oivotally interconnected with the axle and exten g angularly upwardly and rearwardly hereiroin, means for securing strut to the to thereby maint the mid-point of said axle vertical alignment said pivotal nterconnecting means.

3. A steering coaster wagon comprising side rails, a spacer extending transversely between and secured to their front ends, a pair of chairs respectively disposed above and below the spacer in the vicinity of its mid-point and having interconnected tongues extending angularly to the spacer, a front axle, means interconnecting the axle with one of the chairs, a steering bar secured to the other chair, means pivotally interconnecting the chairs with said spacer, an integral lug projecting laterally outwardly from each of said tongues, and yielding means extending between each of said lugs and its adjacent side rail respectively operative to resist lateral movement of the tongues in either direction.

4. In a coaster wagon of the class described, a frame, a front axle, a yoke connected with and extending upwardly therefrom, a chair mounted on the yoke adapted to support the forward end of the frame and having a rearwardly extending tongue, a steering bar disposed in substantial parallelism with the axle, a chair secured thereto having a rearwardly extending tongue, means engaging both of said ton ues operative to prevent relative horizontal movement therebetween, and a king pin extending from the steering bar through chairs and the yoke whereby pivotal movement of the steering bar is operative to correspondingly turn the axle.

5. In steering means for a coaster wagon comprising a deck, side rails, front and back axles and wheels on said axles, a yoke extending vertically upwardly from the front axle, a chair supported from the yoke and providing a bearing surface, a spacing member extending transversely of said side rails and resting on said surface, a chair disposed above said spacer and adapted to bear thereon, a steering bar secured to said chair, a king pin projecting through the chairs and the spacer operative to maintain the chairs in pivotal relation with the spacer, a tongue extending rearwardly from each of said'chairs, and means operative to maintain the chairs in mutual non-rotatable relation to thereby transmit pivotal movement of the steering bar to the front axle.

6. In a coaster wagon of the class described comprising side rails, cross benches carried thereby, a spacer interconnecting the forward ends of the side rails and a deck supported on the cross benches, a front axle, supporting means for the spacer carried by said axle, a king pin extending through th spacer and operative to maintain said supper means in pivotal relation therewith, atongue extending rearwardly from the pivot pin and secured to the deck, a finger integral with said tongue projecting beneath a cross bench, a strut secured to the tongue intermediate its ends and extending angularly downwardly therefr in, and means pivotally interconnecting the strut with said supporting means.

7. In a coaster wagon comprising side rails, cross benches, a deck supported thereon and a spacer interconnecting the front ends of the side rails, a chair pivotally supported on the spacer, a steering bar secured to the chair, a tongue disposed between the steering bar and the chair and extending rearwardly therefrom, means securing the tongue to the deck, a finger integral with the tongue engaging an adjacent cross bench, a front axle, means extending between the axle and the spacer and affording a bearing for the latter, means operative to maintain said chair in non-rotatable relation with said last mentioned means, a strut secured to the tongue and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom, and means forming a pivotal connection between the front end of the strut and the axle.

8. A steering coaster wagon comprising side rails, a deck supported therefrom, a spacer ex tending transversely between the front ends of the rails, apair of substantially similar chairs 0ppositely disposed above and below the spacer, each having a longitudinally extending tongue, a steering bar secured to the upper chair, a front axle, axle supporting means secured to the lower chair, means adapted to hold the chair tongues in fixed relation to each other to thereby maintain the steering bar in substantial parallelism with said axle, a king pin extending through the steering bar, both chairs and the spacer, and springs extended oppositely outwardly from the tongues and respectively connected to the side rails operative to normally yieldingly hold the axle and the steering bar substantially at right angles thereto.

CHARLES W. HAAGEN. 

